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Detection and genetic characterization of rabies virus from human patients

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Virologica Sinica

Abstract

Saliva and blood were collected from two patients who had not received post exposure prophylaxis in the cities of Wenzhou and Xinning respectively. Both patients were confirmed as positive for rabies by detection of rabies virus specific nucleoprotein antibodies in the sera by Western Blot. However, rabies virus specific RNA was only identified in the saliva collected from the patient in Wenzhou. Furthermore, the isolate Zhejiang Wz0 (H) was obtained by inoculating one-day-old suckling mice. Both nucleoprotein (N) and glycoprotein (G) genes from the isolate were amplified by RT-PCR and sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the isolate belonged to classic rabies virus, and shared a higher homology with the street viruses from dogs in the main endemic areas in China and the street virus from dogs in Indonesia than with other known strains. Further comparison of the deduced amino acid sequences between the isolate and the vaccine strains used in China showed that the virus had a higher level of homology with the vaccine strain CTN than with the other vaccine strains (3aG, PV, PM and ERA). In particular, amino acid residues substitutions located in antigenic site III in the G protein, which could react with the neutralizing antibodies, were observed. These results suggested that the virus belonged to the classic rabies virus, and both N and G genes diverged from the current vaccine strains used in China at either the nucleotide or the amino acid level.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hemorrhagic Fever, Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, 102206, China

    Wen-rong Yao, Cheng-long Xiong, Ming-hui Li & Yong-zhen Zhang

  2. The Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, 325000, China

    Guo-qiang Pan

  3. Xinning Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Xinning, 422700, China

    Qian-fu Zhou

  4. Hunan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changsha, 410005, China

    Qi-you Xiao

Authors
  1. Wen-rong Yao
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  2. Guo-qiang Pan
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  3. Cheng-long Xiong
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  4. Qian-fu Zhou
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  5. Qi-you Xiao
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  6. Ming-hui Li
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  7. Yong-zhen Zhang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yong-zhen Zhang.

Additional information

Foundation items: The project was supported by the Grants (2003BA712A08-02 and 2004BA718B03) from the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology.

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Yao, Wr., Pan, Gq., Xiong, Cl. et al. Detection and genetic characterization of rabies virus from human patients. Virol. Sin. 22, 307–315 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12250-007-0007-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12250-007-0007-2

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